What is the better rock album from 1995 – Smashing Pumpkins‘ Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness or Alice in Chains‘ self-titled set? Both records are celebrating their 30th anniversaries this year and for this week’s Chuck’s Fight Club on Loudwire Nights we’re pitting them against each other.
On one side, you’ve got the supremely ambitious Smashing Pumpkins’ double album, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. The band showcased their heaviest and darkest moment on “Bullet With Butterfly Wings,” served up childhood nostalgia on “1979” and pulled out the orchestral strings on “Tonight, Tonight,” while also dropping such gems as “Zero,” “Thirty-Three” and “Muzzle.” The album topped the Billboard 200 and is a Diamond-certified record.
On the other side, you’ve got Alice in Chains’ own dance with darkness on their 1995 self-titled collection. Digging into moments of sadness, depression and struggle, Alice in Chains delivered a deeply emotional record that served as their final studio album with singer Layne Staley. The songs “Grind” and “Again” both earned Grammy nominations while being hit singles, while the mid-tempo “Heaven Beside You” was also a Top 5 rock radio hit. “Over Now” also got a boost later on with its inclusion on the MTV Unplugged special. The self-titled set also topped the Billboard chart and its been certified double platinum.
READ MORE: Every Alice in Chains Song With Layne Staley (Ranked)
As with all Chuck’s Fight Club matchups, Loudwire Nights host Chuck Armstrong will introduce the battle in the 8PM hour of Monday’s show. Individual arguments will be made for both albums on Tuesday and Wednesday’s shows while you continue to rank the records using the voting tool below. On Friday afternoon, the final votes will be tallied and the winning album will be featured in a Loudwire Nights rock block in the 8PM hour of Friday’s show.
Just this reminder, Loudwire Nights with Chuck Armstrong airs nightly starting at 7PM ET. You can tune in anytime, from anywhere right here or by downloading the Loudwire app.
40 Rock Radio Hits That Defined 1995
Revisit 1995 with all of the rock radio hits that dominated the airwaves midway through the decade.
Gallery Credit: Chad Childers, Loudwire
